Leon Wildes, a New York immigration lawyer who successfully fought the United States government’s attempt to deport John Lennon, died on Jan. 8 in Manhattan. He was 90.

From early 1972 to fall 1975, Mr. Wildes battled the Nixon administration and immigration officials for targeting Mr. Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, marshaling a series of legal arguments revealing that Mr. Lennon, an antiwar activist and a vocal critic of President Richard M. Nixon had been singled out by the White House because he had an influence over young voters.

Mr. Wildes’ son, Michael, said in a phone interview with The New York Times that his father “…drew value from helping others achieve their American dream, as he had done — the golden grail of a green card, or citizenship.”